Against the background of the terrorist activities of the fundamentalist al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and the militant Islamist group Ansar Dine, the Austrian organization HOPE’87 has been working since 2008 in the border area of ​​Mali and Burkina Faso around the inhabitants of this area without prospects through educational and income-generating projects.

When working with the youth in the villages of Finkolo (Mali), there has always been a complete lack of sports facilities. Because such sports facilities can contribute to peaceful and cheerful competition and the awareness of how important sport is for the physical, mental and social development of children and adolescents, the Federal Ministry of Public Service and Sports has taken this into account by funding the project “Setting up ball-playing sports grounds for the promotion, education and cultural exchange” in the villages of Finkolo (Mali) and Koloko (Burkina Faso).

Moreover, not only ball sports fields were built in the two villages, but the athletes were also provided with sports equipment, trainers were recruited, cultural exchange forums organized and supports for social equality of women in sport was installed: There are now two women’s volleyball teams, which would have been completely impossible before in very traditional villages!

Moreover, in order to keep young people from migrating out of Mali, sport can be of help in learning cooperative action, in team orientation and in acquiring social skills.

The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, to see sport as “facilitating sustainable development and achieving peace, promoting tolerance and respect”.